//.'■* 7 ° ; 


Proposed Amendments 

TO THE 

Constitution of Louisiana 


Adopted at the Session*of the Legislature of 1916. 


To be Voted on at the Congressional Election 
















Jj* Of D„ 
p EB 2 1917 


• • 
























ACT NO. 4. 

House Bill No. 4. By Mr. Byrne. 

A JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana providing for: The funding of certain debts of 
the City of New Orleans and of the Board of Directors of the 
Public Schools, Parish of Orleans, respectively; the issu¬ 
ance of serial bonds by said city, the purpose for and the 
manner in which same may be issued and the duties and 
functions of the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, with refer¬ 
ence thereto; and the levying by the City of New Orleans 
and the Board of School Directors, Parish of Orleans, re¬ 
spectively, of certain taxes for general municipal and school 
purposes; and providing for the submission of said amend¬ 
ment to the electors of the State for their approval or re¬ 
jection. 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each house con¬ 
curring, that subject to the ratification and approval of the elec¬ 
tors of the State, the Constitution of the State be amended by in¬ 
corporating therein the following provisions, ‘to wit : 

Section 1. The City of New Orleans, by a vote of three-fourths 
of all the members of the Board of Liquidation City Debt, ap¬ 
proved by resolution of the Commission Council, or its successor 
as the governing body of said municipality, adopted by a vote 
of two-thirds of all the members of said council or governing 
body, shall have power and is hereby authorized to issue Nine 
Million Dollars ($9,000,000) of bonds, to be styled “City of 
New Orleans Serial Gold Bonds, ’ ’ and to bear such rate of inter¬ 
est as the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, may fix from time 
to time as each installment of said bonds is offered for sale- as 
hereinafter provided. 

Section 2. Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000), in par value, 
of the bonds authorized by Section 1 of this amendment shall 
forthwith be sold. 

The proceeds of said three million dollars of bonds shall be 
applied exclusively to the following purposes and in the follow¬ 
ing order: 

(a) The payment of the outstanding and unpaid “School 
Teachers’ Salary Bonds of the City of New Orleans,” issued 
under Act No. 2 of the General Assembly of the State of Lou¬ 
isiana for the year 1906, which bonds shall be called for payment 
and paid as soon as practicable; 

(b) The payment of the principal of the floating indebted¬ 
ness of the Board of Directors of the Public Schools, Parish of 
Orleans, evidenced by note or notes outstanding at the time of 


4 


the adoption of this amendment to an amount not exceeding 
Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000) ; pro¬ 
vided that, in the event that said indebtedness or any part thereof 
shall have been paid by said Board out of its current revenues 
previous to the adoption of this amendment, the amount thus paid 
(not to exceed $650,000, however), shall be paid over in cash 
to said Board to be used by it for school purposes, as provided 
by law; 

(c) The payment of the sum of Five Hundred Thousand 
Dollars ($500,000), with interest thereon, borrowed by the City 
of New Orleans for storm emergency purposes in the year 1915; 

(d) The payment of the overdraft or other indebtedness due 
by the City of New Orleans to its fiscal agents or other banks 
representing loans or advances made by them to said city, other 
than those referred to in paragraph (c) of this section, to an 
amount not exceeding in principal and interest the sum of One 
Million Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,350,- 
000); and 

(e) The balance of said proceeds shall be used and employed 
by the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, for the payment of Pub¬ 
lic improvement Certificates of the City of New Orleans, as set 
forth in -Section 3 ,of this amendment. 

Section 3. The remainder of the bonds authorized by Section 
1 of this amendment, or so much thereof as may be necessary, 
shall be sold, from time to time, in such amounts as the Board of 
Liquidation, City Debt, may determine, and the proceeds of the 
sale thereof shall be applied by said Board to the payment of 
Public Improvement Certificates authorized by Act No. 56 of 
the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 
1908, and acts amendatory thereof, and presently outstanding 
or issued at any time in payment of any contract made before 
this amendment takes effect, at their respective maturities or 
when said maturities can be anticipated upon terms satisfactory 
to said Board. 

Said Act No. 56 of 1908 and all amendments thereof, as well 
as all statutes upon the same subject, and so much of Acts No. 
128 and No. 270 of the General Assembly of the State of Lou¬ 
isiana for the year 1910, and other statutes on the same subject 
matter, as may affect, apply or pertain to the City of New Or¬ 
leans, be and the same are hereby repealed; nevertheless Public 
Improvement Certificates may be issued in the manner pro¬ 
vided by said Act No. 56 of 1908, and amendments thereof, in 
payment of any contract made before this amendment takes 
effect. 

Section 4. The Cit}^ of New Orleans may also issue and ne¬ 
gotiate its bonds when authorized by a vote of a majority in 
number and amount of the property taxpayers, who shall have 
been assessed for property in said city as shown by the last as- 


5 


sessment made prior to the submission of the proposition to the 
said property taxpayers and who are otherwise qualified to vote 
under the Constitution and laws of this State, voting at an elec¬ 
tion called by ordinance adopted by a vote of two-thirds of all 
the members of the Commission Council, or its successor as the 
governing body of said City of New Orleans, and which ordi¬ 
nance before any such election is ordered shall be also adopted 
by a vote of three-fourths of all the members of the Board of 
Liquidation, City Debt. Due notice of said election shall be 
published for thirty days in the official journal of said city (four 
w r eekly insertions of said notice constituting a publication for 
thirty days, provided thirty days intervene between the date 
of the first insertion and the date of said election). 

No bonds shall be issued under this section for any other pur¬ 
pose or for any greater amount than that stated in the submis¬ 
sion of the proposition to said taxpayers. 

Section 5. In case of fire, flood, pestilence, storm or other pub¬ 
lic calamity, the City of New Orleans shall have power, by a two- 
thirds vote of all the members of the Commission Council, or its 
successor as the governing body of said city, concurred in by a 
three-fourths vote of all the members of the Board of Liquida¬ 
tion, City Debt, to borrow money and issue and negotiate bonds 
in such sum, not exceeding Five Hundred Thousand Dollars 
($500,000), as shall be necessary in any one such emergency. 

Section 6. For the purpose of refunding all or any part of 
the bonded indebtedness of the City of New Orleans existing 
at the time of the adoption of this amendment, bonds may from 
time to time be issued and negotiated. When any of the issues 
of the bonds of said city outstanding at the time of the adoption 
of this amendment shall become callable according to their terms 
or the statutes under which they are respectively issued, or 
when the consent of all the holders of any such issue of bonds 
can be secured, the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, shall have 
the right in its discretion to call and pay any one or more of 
said issues of bonds, and shall be authorized by resolution duly 
adopted to issue and negotiate bonds to provide the funds neces- 
sar}^ for that purpose; provided, however, that in no event shall 
the par value of the bonds so sold and negotiated exceed the par 
value of the bonded indebtedness thereby to be refunded. 

Section 7. The full faith and credit of the City of New Or¬ 
leans are pledged for the payment of the principal and interest 
of all bonds issued under this amendment. 

The principal and interest of all bonds authorized by and 
to be issued under this amendment shall be paid primarily out of 
(1) that one-half of the surplus of the one per cent debt tax 
which heretofore has been dedicated for the support and main¬ 
tenance of the public schools of said city, as levied under and 
authorized by Act No. 110 of the General Assembly of the State 


6 


of Louisiana for the year 1890, and subsequently made part of 
the Constitution of this State, and (2), after January 1, 1928, 
that portion of the one per cent debt tax, authorized and levied 
under Act No. 110 aforesaid, and the two-mill tax authorized 
by and levied under Act No. 6 of the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana for the year 1899 which shall have been re¬ 
leased and freed from dedication either by the calling and refund¬ 
ing or the payment in due course of all or any part of the bonds 
existing at the time of the adoption of this amendment; pro¬ 
vided that, if the funds derived from the sources aforesaid shall 
be insufficient in any one year to pay the principal and interest 
of the bonds issued under this amendment and then outstanding 
and unpaid, or if for any cause there shall not be funds appro¬ 
priated to or available for such purpose, the City of New Or¬ 
leans shall levy a tax upon all taxable property in said city suffi¬ 
cient to provide for any such deficiency; and provided further 
that, when the aforesaid one per cent debt tax and two mill wa¬ 
ter and sewer tax shall cease to be levied, the City of New Or¬ 
leans shall levy a tax upon all taxable property in said city suf¬ 
ficient to pay the principal and interest of said bonds as they re¬ 
spectively become due. 

Section 8. It is hereby intended that all existing dedications 
and appropriations of said one per cent debt tax authorized by 
said Act No. 110 of 1890 (except with respect to the said one- 
half of the surplus of the one per cent debt tax therein dedi¬ 
cated to public schools), and of said two-mill water and sewer 
tax, authorized by said Act No. 6 of 1899, shall be respected 
and performed according to the priorities by said statutes estab¬ 
lished; that all of that portion of the funds resulting from the 
levy of said taxes which shall be released from said appropria¬ 
tions and dedications by the payment, satisfaction or refunding 
of any of the bonded debt obligations now charged thereon and 
there-against shall, together with the one-half of the surplus of 
the one per cent debt tax heretofore* dedicated to public school 
purposes, be used and applied to the payment of the principal and 
interest of all bonds issued under this amendment; that any resi¬ 
due thereof remaining after the payment of the principal and 
interest in any one year of bonds authorized by this amendment 
shall be turned over to the City of New Orleans to be used by 
it for general municipal purposes; but when, and to the extent 
that, the obligations now charged on said taxes, shall be paid, 
satisfied or refunded, said taxes shall be released from said ob¬ 
ligations, and, ultimately, when entirely released and discharged, 
shall cease to be levied; and, that, thereafter, any and all bonds 
issued under this amendment shall be provided for by a tax upon 
all taxable property in the City of New Orleans sufficient to pay 
the principal and interest of said bonds as they respectively 
become due; provided, however, that, in the event the funds 
hereinabove specially dedicated for the payment of the princi- 






7 


pal and interest of the bonds issued under this amendment 
should prove insufficient, the City of New Orleans shall, and it 
is hereby required to, levy in every such instance a tax upon 
all taxable property in the City of New Orleans necessary to 
pay the principal and interest of said bonds. 

Section 9. The principal and interest of all bonds authorized 
by this amendment shall be payable in gold coin of the United 
States of America, or its equivalent, of the standard of weight 
and fineness at the time of the issuance of each installment of said 
bonds. 

Said bonds shall be exempt from all taxation for State, parish, 
municipal or other local purposes. 

Savings banks, tutors of minors, curators of interdicts, trus¬ 
tees and other fiduciaries may invest the funds m their hands 
in said bonds. 

Said bonds may be used for deposit with any officer, board, 
municipality or other political subdivision of the State of Lou¬ 
isiana in any case where by present or future laws deposit or 
security is required. 

Said bonds may be registered and released from registry un¬ 
der such rules as the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, may pre¬ 
scribe. 

Section 10. All bonds issued under this amendment shall bear 
such rate of interest or, from time to time, different rates of in¬ 
terest, and shall, except as herein otherwise specially provided, 
be in such form, terms and denominations, and payable at sue 
times and places, within a period of not exceeding fifty years 
from the date thereof, as the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, 
shall determine. Said bonds shall be issued in serial form 
and shall be payable in annual installments, commencing not 
more than two years from their respective dates, and the install¬ 
ment payable in each year shall be so fixed that, when the annual 
interest is added thereto, the several annual total amounts of 
principal and interest to be paid shall be as nearly equal as prac¬ 
ticable; provided, said installments may be fixed at five thou¬ 
sand dollars or the nearest multiple thereof. 

Said bonds shall be signed by the Mayor and the Commissioner 
of Public Finance of the City of New Orleans, or officers exer¬ 
cising similar functions, and countersigned by the President or 
Vice-President and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the 
Board of Liquidation, City Debt, and the coupons attached to 
said bonds shall bear the facsimile signatures oi said Commis¬ 
sioner of Public Finance and said Secretary or Assistant Secre¬ 
tary. In case any such officer whose signature or counter-signa¬ 
ture appears upon such a bond or coupon shall cease to be such 
officer before delivery of said bond or coupon to the purchaser, 
such signature or counter-signature shall nevertheless be valid 


8 


for all purposes. The cost and expense of preparing and sell¬ 
ing said bonds shall be paid for by the Board of Liquidation, 
City Debt. 

/Section 11. All bonds issued under this amendment shall be 
sold by the Board of Liquidation, City Debt, to the highest bid¬ 
der or bidders by sealed proposals after due advertisement of 
not less than five insertions in the official journal of the City 
of New Orleans (the first insertion to be at least fifteen days 
prior to the date of the sale), and such other advertisement, in 
said city or elsewhere, as said Board of Liquidation may in its 
discretion direct; provided, said Board of Liquidation may re¬ 
ject any and all bids. 

Section 12. Except as otherwise provided in this amendment, 
the City of New Orleans shall not borrow money, issue bonds, 
notes or other evidences of indebtedness or pledge its credit or 
anticipate the collection of any of its taxes. 

No money shall be drawn from the treasury of said city with¬ 
out specific appropriation therefor previously made, nor shall 
said city make any contract or incur any debt or obligation for 
any purpose whatsoever unless sufficient funds, not otherwise ap¬ 
propriated, to pay and discharge same are actually in the treasury 
of said city at the time of making the contract or incurring the 
debt or obligation and are specifically set aside and dedicated 
to said purpose, unless herein otherwise provided. The forego¬ 
ing limitation and restriction shall not apply or be held to apply 
to contracts or obligation incurred with respect to the furnish¬ 
ing to said city of light, heat or power, water, telephone service 
or garbage removal or destruction. 

The said city may in any calendar year in anticipation of the 
collection of the taxes of such calendar year, and for the purposes 
for which such taxes are levied, borrow such sums as shall not be 
in excess of the amount of its uncollected taxes of such year, 
and may issue its notes or other evidences of indebtedness there¬ 
for, and such sum, notes or other evidences of indebtedness shall 
be payable only out of the taxes of the calendar year in which 
said loan or loans are first made, and for which indebtedness said 
revenues shall be pledged, and said indebtedness shall not be pay¬ 
able out of any other funds or moneys whatsoever. No money 
shall be borrowed by the said city except for current municipal 
purposes, and in no event shall any money be borrowed by said 
city to make or to pay for works of public improvement. Said 
city may issue for street paving purposes certificates on its faith 
and credit pursuant to legislative, authority, to an amount not 
in excess of any special assessments which have been or shall be 
made for such purposes. Such paving certificates hereafter 
issued shall be chargeable primarily against the special assess¬ 
ments in respect of which they are issued, and secondarily 
against the revenues of the City of New Orleans derived from 


9 


taxation for general municipal purposes and from sources other 
than the taxes for the payment of the principal and interest of 
the bonds now outstanding or hereafter to be issued under this 
paving certificates only in the event and to the extent that such 
amendment, which revenues shall be applied in payment of such 
special assessments shall ibe insufficient for such payment, and 
reimbursement shall be made to the general funds of the City 
of New Orleans when the assessments are collected to the extent 
of the amount that the said general funds shall have contrib¬ 
uted to the payment aforesaid. So much of Act No. 23 of the 
General Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 1914 
as may be inconsistent herewith is hereby repealed, and here¬ 
after no paving certificates shall be issued upon the pledge of the 
reserve fund of the City of New Orleans, but such certificates 
shall be secured as herein and as otherwise provided for by said 
act or subsequent legislative authority not in conflict herewith; 
provided, however, that, paving certificates, for which the faith 
and credit of the City of New Orleans shall be pledged, whether 
issued under the aforesaid Act No. 23 of 1914, or under subse¬ 
quent legislation, shall not at any one time be outstanding in an 
amount in excess of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000) in face 
value. 

Section 13. The total issue of bonds by the City of New Or¬ 
leans for all purposes shall never exceed ten per centum of the 
assessed valuation of the property in said city; provided, how¬ 
ever, that neither the bonds issued for water, sewerage and drain¬ 
age purposes (namely, the $12,000,000 Public Improvement 
Bonds issued under said Act No. 6 of 1899 and the $8,000,000 
New Public Improvement Bonds issued under Act No. 19 of the 
General Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 1906, 
and aets amendatory thereof and supplemental theretq, as well as 
such bonds, hereby or hereafter authorized, into which the afore¬ 
said bonds or any part thereof may be refunded), nor the $2,- 
000,000 Public Belt Railroad Bonds authorized by Act No. 179 
of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 
1908, nor any bonds hereafter authorized for Public Belt Rail¬ 
road purposes, nor any bonds which may hereafter be issued 
for water supply or for the acquisition or construction of any 
revenue producing public utility, nor any paving certificates 
primarily chargeable against special assessments for street pav¬ 
ing, shall be included in computing the indebtedness of said City 
of New Orleans under this limitation; and provided further, that 
emergency bonds may be issued as authorized in Section 5 of this 
amendment even though said limitation shall have been reached; 
provided that the Nine Million Dollars of bonds authorized by 
Section 1 of this amendment shall not be subject to the limitation 
herein fixed at the time or times that same shall be issued; but, 
with respect to any other bonds that may be issued hereafter 
under this amendment there shall be included in the computation 


10 


said Nine Million Dollars of bonds, notwithstanding the fact 
that all of said Nine Million Dollars of bonds shall not have been 
actually issued, and such amount of emergency bonds as may be 
then outstanding. 

Section 14. The Board of Liquidation, City Debt, as now 
organized and created and with the powers, duties and functions 
prescribed by existing laws and by this amendment, shall be con¬ 
tinued while any bonds authorized by this amendment are out¬ 
standing and unpaid; and all taxes which may be levied for the 
payment of said bonds shall, day by day as collected, be paid 
over to said Board, and shall by it be applied in payment of the 
principal and interest of said bonds; and said board shall with 
respect to all bonds authorized by this amendment be entitled 
to exercise all the rights and enforce the performance of all the 
obligations, the same as it is authorized to do under laws exist¬ 
ing at the time of the adoption of this amendment with respect to 
any of the presently outstanding bonds of said City of New Or¬ 
leans. All funds, property and things of value held by the 
Board of Liquidation, City Debt, for bonded debt purposes 
other than taxes now or hereafter levied, and particularly all 
funds, property and things of value now or hereafter held by 
said Board under Act No. 133 of the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana for the year 1880 and all amendments there¬ 
to, shall when released from contract obligations or dedications 
imposed by laws existing at the time of the adoption of this 
amendment be used and employed in the discretion of said 
Board in payment and retirement of any bonds of the City of 
New Orleans then outstanding. 

Section 15. For general municipal purposes, exclusive of 
the support and maintenance of the public schools and the pay¬ 
ment of the bonded debt of the City of New Orleans, said city 
may in each year levy upon all taxable property within said city 
a tax not exceeding six and one-half mills on the dollar of the 
assessed valuation thereof: provided, however, that when the one 
per cent debt tax authorized by said Act No. 110 of 1890 and 
the two mill water and sew~er tax authorized by said Act No. 
6 of 1899 shall both have ceased to be levied, and if thereafter 
the taxes levied by the City of New Orleans in any one year 
for bonded debt purposes be less than ten mills, said city may 
in such events levy for its general purposes such additional tax 
which, when added to the tax of six and one-half mills hereby 
authorized and the taxes levied for the payment of the principal 
and interest of its bonds as they severally mature, shall not ex¬ 
ceed in the aggregate sixteen and one-half mills. 

Section 16. The reservation of twenty per cent of the rev¬ 
enues of the City of New Orleans shah not hereafter be made 
as directed by Section 40 of the Act No. 159 of the General 
Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 1912, except 


11 


insofar as the fund so directed to be reserved shall have been ap¬ 
propriated or dedicated before this amendment takes effect to 
the payment of any obligation of the City of New Orleans, and 
said reserve fund of each year, when released from the obliga¬ 
tions charged against it by law and because of contracts, exist¬ 
ing at the time of the adoption of this amendment, shall be used 
for general municipal purposes. 

Section 17. For the support, maintenance, construction and 
repair of the public Schools in the City of New Orleans, the 
Board of Directors of the Public Schools, Parish of Orleans, or its 
legal successor, shall levy annually such tax, not exceeding three 
and one-half mills, as said Board shall deem necessary, which 
levy shall be certified by said Board to the Commission Council 
or other future governing body of the City of New Orleans, 
which shall cause the tax to be entered upon' the tax rolls of 
said city according to law against all taxable property in said 
city as assessed and valued for city taxation purposes; and 
said tax shall be collected by said city and paid over to said 
Board of Directors of the Public Schools, Parish of Orleans, day 
by day as collected. 

Said tax shall be in lieu of all taxes, appropriations and funds 
now authorized or directed to be levied or contributed by the 
City of New Orleans for public school purposes, either by said 
Act No. 110 of 1890 or other provisions of the Constitution of 
this State. All constitutional provisions to the contrary, 
as well as Act No. 262 of the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana for the year 1914, ratified as an 
amendment to the Constitution of this State, are hereby 
abrogated and repealed; and the City of New Orleans 
shall have no power or authority to use or employ any of its 
taxes or funds for the establishment, support or maintenance 
of the public schools, directly or indirectly, except as herein 
authorized; provided, however, that the City of New Orleans 
shall administer, use and employ all the funds, property or 
things of value now or hereafter held by it under any special 
legacy, bequest or donation made or to be made directly to it 
for school purposes, and shall carry out and execute the condi¬ 
tions of all such special legacies, bequests or donations that have 
been heretofore made to and accepted by said City of New Or¬ 
leans and all such as may hereafter be made to and accepted 
by said city. 

Section 18. For the purpose of giving additional support to 
the Public schools, the Board of Directors of the Public Schools, 
Parish of Orleans, or its legal successor, may levy upon all taxable 
property in the City of New Orleans a special tax not exceeding 
two mills on the dollar of the assessed valuation of said prop¬ 
erty (which special tax shall be in excess of the tax author¬ 
ized by Section 17 of this amendment), whenever (1) in the man- 


12 


ner prescribed by Act No. 256 of the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana for the year 1910, and amendments thereof, 
or in such other manner as shall be prescribed by law, the rate 
of such special tax, the number of years it is to be levied 
and the purpose for which the tax is intended shall have been 
by said Board submitted at an election to a vote of the prop¬ 
erty taxpayers of the City of New Orleans entitled to vote 
under the laws of this State, who shall have been assessed for 
property in said city as shown by the last assessment made 
prior to the submission of the proposition to the said property 
taxpayers, and (2) a majority of the same in number and 
amount voting at said election shall have voted therefor. The 
lev}^ by said Board of any tax so authorized shall be certified, 
assessed, collected and paid in the manner prescribed by Sec¬ 
tion 17 of this amendment. 

Section 19. The Board of Directors of the Public Schools, 
Parish of Orleans, or its legal successor, shall not capitalize 
the whole or any part of the taxes which by this amendment it 
is authorized to levy, nor fund the same into bonds, nor borrow 
money in anticipation of the collection thereof; provided that 
said Board may, in any calendar year, in anticipation of the 
collection of the taxes of such calendar year and lor the pur¬ 
pose for which such taxes are levied, borrow such sums as shall 
not be in excess of the amount of its uncollected taxes of such 
year, and may issue its notes or other evidences of indebted¬ 
ness therefor, and such sums, notes or other evidences of in¬ 
debtedness shall be payable only out of the taxes of the calendar 
year in which said loan or loans are first made and for which 
indebtedness said revenues shall be pledged, and said indebted¬ 
ness shall not be payable out of any other funds or moneys what¬ 
soever; provided, however, no moneys shall be borrowed by said 
Board for any other purposes than current purposes, and in 
no event shall any money be borrowed by said Board to make 
or to pay for permanent improvements; and provided further, 
that said Board shall not make any contract or incur any debt 
or obligation unless sufficient funds, not otherwise appropriated, 
to pay and discharge the same are actually in the treasury of 
said Board at the time of making said contract or incurring said 
debt or obligation and are specially set aside and dedicated 
to said purpose, except as may be hereinabove specially pro¬ 
vided. 

Said Board shall annually and prior to the beginning of the 
scholastic year prepare a budget of its receipts and expendi¬ 
tures and said budget, before it becomes effective, must be 
approved by the Commission Council of the City of New Or¬ 
leans, or its successor as the governing body of said City, and 
all appropriations by or expenditures of said Board not included 
in the said budget shall likewise before becoming effective be ap¬ 
proved by said Commmission Council or its said successor; 


13 


Provided that nothing herein shall be taken or construed as 
authorizing the Commission Council or its successor to change, 
alter, substitute or eliminate any of the items of the budget 
thus submitted; the true intent and meaning hereof being that 
the said council or its successor shall have no authority what¬ 
soever in or over said budget except to the extent of ascertain¬ 
ing whether the proposed expenditures as exhibited by said 
budget are within the probable and estimated revenues of said 
Board of Directors of the Public Schools, Parish of urleans. 

Section 20. The inhibition herein established against the 
City of New Orleans and the Board of Directors of the Public 
Schools, Parish of Orleans, or either of them, borrowing money, 
anticipating their revenu6s, capitalizing their funds or issuing 
notes of other evidences of debt, shall apply to all boards, 
commissions or bodies created by or under the authority of the 
Commission Council of the City of New Orleans, or its suc¬ 
cessor as the governing body of said city. 

Section 21. The provisions hereof are self-operanve, and the 
City of New Orleans and the several boards and bodies herein 
referred to shall carry the same into effect. 

Be it further enacted, etc., that the amendment proposed by 
this act shall be submitted to the electors of the State for their 
approval or rejection at the Congressional election to be held 
on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of 
November, 1916; that there shall be printed on the official ballots 
to be used at said election the words: 

“For the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana providing for the funding of certain debts 
of the City of New Orleans and of the Board of Directors of 
the Public Schools, Parish of Orleans,” 
and the ivords: 

“Against the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana providing for the funding of certain debts of 
the City of New Orleans and of the Board of Directors of the 
Public Schools, Parish of Orleans;” 

and that each elector shall indicate on the ballot cast by him, 
as provided by the general election laws of the State, w T hether 
he votes for or against the proposed amendment. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: June 8th, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


14 


ACT NO. 13. 

House Bill No. 5. Bv Mr. Keintz. 

JOINT RESOLUTION. 

Proposing an amendment to Article 118 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana on the subject of Juvenile Courts: 
Section 1: Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each House 
concurring, that the fifth section of Article 118 of the Constitu¬ 
tion of the State of Louisiana, be, and the same is hereby re¬ 
pealed. 

Section 2: Be it further resolved, etc, that this proposed 
amendment shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the 
State for adoption or rejection at the Congressional election to 
be held on Tuesday, November 7. 1916. 

Section 3: Be it further resolved, etc, that on the official 
ballots to be used at said election there shall be placed the words: 
“For the proposed amendment to Article 118 of the Constitution 
of Louisiana, and the words, “Against the proposed amendment 
to Article 118 of the Constitution of Louisiana,” and each elector 
shall indicate, as provided in the general election laws gf this 
State, for which of the propositions he votes. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
ETHELRED M. STAFFORD. 
President Pro Tempore of the Senate. 
Approved: June 16, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copv: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 28. 

Senate Bill No. 77. By Mr. Leon R. Smith. 

AN ACT 

Proposing an amendment to Article 270 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana, relative to the voting and levying of 
special taxes in aid of public improvements. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all members elected to each House 
concurring, That Article 270 of the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana be amended so as to read as follows: 

Article 270. The General Assembly shall have power to enact 
general laws authorizing the parochial, ward and municipal au¬ 
thorities of the State, by a vote of the majority of the property 
tax payers, in number entitled to vote under the provisions of this 



15 


Constitution, and in value, to levy special taxes in aid of public 
improvements, railway enterprises, river transportation lines, 
such as steam boat and barge lines, and navigation canals; pro¬ 
vided, that such tax shall not exceed the rate of five mills per 
annum, nor extend for a longer period than ten years; and pro¬ 
vided further, that no tax payer shall be permitted to vote at such 
election unless he shall have been assessed for property, the year 
previous, in the parish, ward or municipality to be affected. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the foregoing 
amendment to the Constitution of the State of Louisiana be sub¬ 
mitted to the electors of the State at the next election for Repre¬ 
sentatives in Congress, to be holden on the first Tuesday after 
the first Monday in November, 1916, and on the official ballots to 
be used at said election shall be placed the words: “For the pro¬ 
posed amendment to Article 270 of the Constitution of the State 
of Louisiana,” and the words “Against the proposed amend¬ 
ment to Article 270 of the Constitution of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana,” and each elector shall indicate, as provided in the general 
election laws of the State, which of the propositions, “for” or 
“against”, he votes for. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: June 23, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

A true copy: Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 68. 

By Mr. Kantz, Chairman, 
Committee on City Af¬ 
fairs. Substitute for House 
Bill No. 178, by Mr. Bar¬ 
rett. 

A JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana, granting to the City of New Orleans power to 
construct, equip, maintain and operate, through and by the 
Public Belt Railroad Commission of the City of New Or¬ 
leans, bridges and tunnels across the Mississippi River at 
or near New Orleans, and to do various acts incidental there¬ 
to and to the operation generally of the Public Belt Rail¬ 
road system of the City of New Orleans, and providing for 
the submission of said amendment to the electors of the 
State for their approval or rejection. 



16 


Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each 
house concurring, that subject to the ratification and approval 
of the electors of the State, the Constitution of the State be 
amended by incorporating 'therein the following provisions, 
to-wit: 

(1) The City of New Orleans js hereby granted plenary and 
exclusive power, by such means and methods as it may deem 
meet and proper not in conflict with the provisions of this 
amendment: 

(a) To construct, equip, maintain and operate across the 
Mississippi River at or near New Orleans bridges and tunnels 
for railroad and highway use, together with all approaches, rail¬ 
road and highway connections, roads, roadways, railroads, ter¬ 
minals, water craft and other structures, improvements, facili¬ 
ties and accessories thereunto appertaining; 

(b) To acquire, by expropriation or otherwise, the property, 
ownership, use or possession of any lands or other things neces¬ 
sary for the construction, equipment, maintenance or operation 
of any such bridge or tunnel and appurtenances; and 

(c) To lay out, open, close, alter or change the rout^ qf any 
roadway, non-navigable stream or drain over which the ap¬ 
proaches of any such bridge or tunnel, or over which any part 
of the Public Belt Railroad system of the City of New Orleans 
shall extend. 

(2) The City of New (Orleans is further hereby granted pow¬ 
er, for the purpose of constructing any such bridges orjtunnels 
and appurtenances and for. the purpose of acquiring the lands 
or other things necessary thereto, to issue its obligations in such 
forms, numbers, denominations and amounts, at such times and 
prices and upon such terms and conditions as to maturities, rates 
and payment of interest and final redemption as the said City 
of New Orleans may deem advisable, subject to the following 
limitations: 

(a) Except as may be herein otherwise provided, all such 
obligations shall be secured solely and only by liens and mort¬ 
gages upon and against such bridges or tunnels and appurten¬ 
ances, and the lands or other things necessary thereto, and by 
a lien and pledge upon the net revenues derived from the opera¬ 
tion thereof, and shall be paid therefrom and from no other 
source or sources whatsoever, except as otherwise stipulated 
herein, and not by any tax or assessment or levy upon any tax¬ 
able property in the City of New Orleans, nor out of any other 
funds, revenues or things of value of said city; the true intent 
and meaning hereof being that save and except, to the extent, 
out of the funds, and in the manner herein stated, the City of 
New Orleans shall never be liable for, nor shall it assume, any 
debt, liability or obligation incurred or created in the execution 
of the provisions hereof. 




17 


(b) During the period of construction of such bridges and 
tunnels and appurtenances and during such times as the revenues 
from the operation thereof shall not be sufficient to provide for 
the interest on, and for the redemption of, any and all of the 
obligations hereinabove authorized to be issued, any and all of 
such obligations falling due shall be redeemed and all accrued 
interest shall be paid from the net revenues of the Public Belt 
Railroad system of the City of New Orleans to such extent as 
may be required, after providing in the manner prescribed by 
Act No. 179 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, 
session of 1908, for the payment of the principal and interest 
of any bonds authorized by said Act No. 179 of 1908, whether 
heretofore or hereafter issued. 

(3) Any bridges or tunnels and appurtenances thereof con¬ 
structed, equipped, maintained or operated by the City of New 
Orleans under the authority hereby conferred, and all other 
property acquired by the City of New Orleans under the pro¬ 
visions of this amendment, shall form and are hereby constituted 
an integral part of the Public Beit Railroad system, as it now 
or as it may hereafter exist, which said system the City of New 
Orleans is hereby authorized to extend and operate in and be¬ 
yond the Parish of Orleans; and the Public Belt Railroad Com¬ 
mission of the City of New (Orleans is hereby vested with the 
same powers with respect to the Public Belt Railroad system as 
well as with respect to such bridges, tunnels, appurtenances and 
property, their acquisition, construction, operation and develop¬ 
ment as are now vested in said Commission by Act No. 179 of 
the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, Session of 1908. 
with respect to the Public Belt Railroad as presently established. 

The Public Belt Railroad Commission is hereby authorized 
without prior authority or approval therefor by the Commission 
Council of the City of New Orleans, to expend out of any of 
its revenues and for the purpose of constructing such bridges or 
tunnels a sum not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars on any 
one contract, provided, however, that all disbursements beyond 
said sum shall be made only after they shall have been first au¬ 
thorized and approved by the Commission Council of the City 
of New Orleans. 

(4) The Public Belt Railroad Commission, under such terms 
and conditions as it may deem advisable, shall have the right to 
switch, handle or convey, in continuous movement, for any rail¬ 
road, trains over such bridges or through such tunnels and over 
the main lines of the Public Belt Railroad to the depot or yard 
of said railroad or to any union passenger depot or union ter¬ 
minal of the Public Belt Railroad system; it being understood 
that the sole purpose of this provision is to facilitate the move¬ 
ment of trains entering the City of New Orleans on the east or 
west bank of the Mississippi River. Under no condition can the 


18 


Public Belt Railroad Commission grant switching privileges to 
any railroad over the Public Belt Railroad System. 

(5) Any bridge or tunnel constructed and any appurtenances 
thereof and any lands or other things necessary thereto, ac¬ 
quired or constructed under the provisions of this amendment, 
and any and all property leased to or by the City of New Or¬ 
leans for the purpose of this amendment, during the life of the 
lease, shall be exempt from every form of taxation, special assess¬ 
ment or license, and shall in no manner be hypothecated, leased 
or alienated except and only to further the acquiring of other 
property or properties for the Public Belt Railroad system, or 
to otherwise advance and carry out the objects and purposes of 
this amendment. 

(6) The provisions of this amendment shall constitute a con¬ 
tract between the holders of any and all obligations issued there¬ 
under, the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans. 

( 7 ) None of the provisions of this amendment shall be con- . 
strued or interpreted so as to conflict with the provisions of Act 
No. 4 of the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, Session 
of 1916, being a Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to 
the Constitution of the State providing for the funding of certain 
debts of the City of New Orleans and of the Board of Directors 
of the Public Schools, Parish of Orleans, respectively, nor as re¬ 
pealing, affecting, changing or altering Act 179 of the General 
Assembly of the State of Louisiana for the year 1908, authorizing 
the issuance of two million dollars of bonds for Belt Railroad 
purposes. 

(8) That all the rights, franchises and immunities herein 
granted shall continue and exist only upon the condition that 
the construction of said bridge shall be actively begun not later 
than May 1st, 1920, and that the said bridge shall be completed 
within five years from the date of the commencement of the work; 
provided, that after the work of construction has begun, in the 
event of delays occasioned by litigation, strikes, panics, lock¬ 
outs, failure of contractor or sub-contractors to deliver materials 
on contract time or of any contractor or sub-contractor to co m¬ 
plete work on contract time or any delay occasioned by any act 
of circumstance over which the grantee herein has no control, 
there shall be and is hereby granted further time for completion 
equal to the period covered by such delays; and, provided fur¬ 
ther, if the Congress of the United States shall, after the con¬ 
struction of said bridge has begun, grant an extension of time 
or further delay for the completion of said bridge, then such 
additional delay shall be and is hereby, ipso facto, granted under 
this Act. 

Section 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the amendment 
proposed by this Act shall be submitted to the electors of the 
State for their approval or rejection at the Congressional elec- 



19 


tion to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in 
'the month of November, 1916; that there shall be printed on 
the official ballots to be used at said election the words: 

For the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State 
of Louisiana granting to the City of New Orleans power to con¬ 
struct, equip, maintain and operate bridges or tunnels across the 
Mississippi River at or near New Orleans; etc., and the words: 

Against the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana granting to the City of New Orleans power 
to construct, equip, maintain and operate bridges or tunnels 
across the Mississippi River at or near New Orleans; etc. 

And that each elector shall indicate on the ballot cast by him, 
as provided by the general election laws of the State, whether 
he votes for or against the proposed amendment. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: June 30, 1916: 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 84 

House Bill No. 193. B}^ Mr. Powell, Chairman, Com¬ 

mittee on the Judiciary, Sec 
tion “A,” Substitute for 
House Bill Ncr. 3. 

A JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to Article 148 of the State Constitution 
relative to the District Attorney for the Parish of Orleans, 
his election, qualifications, term of office, compensation, as¬ 
sistants and office force. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members elected by each house 
concurring, That Article 148 of the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana be so amended as to read as follows: 

Article 148 : There shall- be a District Attorney for. the Parish 
of Orleans, who shall be elected by the voters of the said Parish 
for the term of four years, and who shall receive an annual salary 
of ten thousand dollars, forty-six hundred dollars of which shall 
be paid by the State of Louisiana, in equal monthly installments, 
and the balance of fifty-four hundred dollars shall be paid by 
the City of New Orleans, in equal monthly installments; he shall 
receive no other compensation. He shall be a licensed attorney 



20 


and shall perform such duties as are now prescribed by law, or 
may hereafter be prescribed by the General Asembly, and shall 
take no outside practice. He may appoint and remove at his dis¬ 
cretion such assistants, who shall be licensed attorneys, and such 
clerks, stenographers and special officers as may be provided by 
the Commission Council of the City of New Orleans, and at such 
salaries and terms of payment as the said Commission Council 
may ordain. 

Section 2. Be it ifurther resolved, etc., That this proposed 
Amendment shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State, 
for adoption or rejection, at the Congressional Election to be 
held in November, 1916; and, if adopted, the same shall take 
effect on the firs;: Monday in December, 1916. 

Section 3. Be it further resolved, etc., That the voting either 
for or against this resolution by any member of the General As¬ 
sembly shall not prevent him from being a candidate for the said 
office. 

Section 4. Be it further resolved, etc., That on the official bal¬ 
lots to be issued at said election, there shall be placed “for the 
proposed amendment to Article 148 of the Constitution of Lou¬ 
isiana” and the words “Against the proposed amendment to 
Article 148 of the Constitution of Louisiana” and each elector 
shall indicate, as provided in the general electian laws of the 
State, which of the proposed “For” or “Against” he votes. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 5, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copv: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 91 

Senate Bill No. 15 By Mr. Delos R. Johnson 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to Article 210 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana fixing the qualifications of holders of 
office. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the 'General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each house 
concurring, that Article 210 of the Constitution be amended so 
as to read as follows: 

Article 210: No person shall be eligible to any office, State, 
Judicial, Parochial, municipal or ward, who is not a citizen of 




21 


this State, and a duly qualified elector of the State, Judicial Dis¬ 
trict, municipality or ward; wherein the functions of the said 
office are to be performed; provided, that resident women over 
the age of twenty-one years shall be eligible to hold the office 
of Factory Inspector and any office connected with the educa¬ 
tional, eleemosynary, penal and correctional systems of the State, 
Parish, Ward, municipality, or any other political division of the 
State. And whenever any officer, State, Judicial, Parochial, mu¬ 
nicipal, or ward, may change his or her residence from this State, 
or from the district, parish, municipality or ward in which he 
or she holds such office, the same shall thereby be vacated any 
declaration of retention of domicile to the contrary notwithstand¬ 
ing. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That this proposed 
amendment be submitted to the electors of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana for their approval or rejection, as required by Article 231 
of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and the general elec¬ 
tion laws of this State in November, 1916. 

Section 3. Be it further resolved, etc., That on the official 
balot to be used at the said election shall be placed the words 
“For the proposed amendment to Article 210 of the Constitution 
relative to women,” and the words “Against the proposed 
amendment to Article 210 of the Constitution relative to wom¬ 
en,” and each elector shall indicate, as provided in the general 
election laws of the State whether he votes for or against the 
said amendment. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: July 5, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 101. 

Llouse Bill No. 10. The Fields-Nix Bill. 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to Article 303 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana relative to pensions for Confederate 
Veterans. As amended by Act No. 193 of the General As¬ 
sembly of 1914, and for the purpose of providing a sufficient 
revenue for the carrying out of this Article of the Constitu¬ 
tion. 



22 


Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two thirds of all the members elected to each House 
concurring, that Article 303 of the Constitution of the State 
of Louisiana as amended by Act No. 193 of the General Assem¬ 
bly of 1914 be so enacted as to read as follows:— 

Article 303. A pension of like amount not to exceed Twenty- 
Five Dollars ($25.00) per month shall be allowed to each Con¬ 
federate soldier or Sailor veteran who possesses all of the fol¬ 
lowing qualifications:— 

1. He shall have served honorably from the date of his en¬ 
listment until the close of the late Civil War, or until he was 
discharged or paroled, in some military organization regularly 
mustered into the Army or Navy of the Confederate States and 
shall have remained true to the Confederate States until the 
Surrender. 

2. He shall not own property of more than two thousand 
dollars valuation. 

3. He shall not be salaried or otherwise provided for by the 
State of Louisiana, or by any other State or Government. In 
case he enlisted in any organization mustered into said service 
as a Louisiana organization, or in case at the date of his enlist¬ 
ment he resided in the State of Louisiana, he shall have resided 
in this State for at least five years prior to his application for 
pension. In case he resided elsewhere than in this State, and 
enlisted in an organization not mustered in from Louisiana, or in 
the Navy of the Confederate States, he shall have resided in this 
State for at least five years prior to his application for 
pension, A like pension shall be granted to the widow who shall 
not have married again, in indigent circumstances, of such 
soldier or sailor whose marriage to her was contracted prior to 
January, 1895; provided that if her deceased husband served 
in an organization, mustered in from Louisiana, or if he resided 
in Louisiana, at the date of his enlistment, then in order that 
such widow shall be entitled to the pension as herein provided, 
she shall have resided in this State for at least five years prior 
to her application therefor; and if her deceased husband en¬ 
listed elsewhere than in Louisiana, and served in an organization 
not mustered in from Louisiana, such widow shall, in order to 
entitle her to a pension as herein provided, have resided in this 
State for not less than five years prior to her application for such 
pension; provided further that all widows who married confed¬ 
erate soldiers or sailors a second time shall not be debarred from 
the benefits of this Act but be entitled to a pension on the same 
terms as other widows of deceased Confederate soldiers or 
sailors; provided further, that pensions whether to veterans or 
to widows shall be allowed only from the date of application 
under this Article, and the total appropriations for all pen- 


23 


sions in any one year shall be the proceeds of the annual one 
mill tax hereby levied on all taxable property in the State, pro¬ 
vided said appropriations shall never be more than an amount 
sufficient to pay all pensions for any one year. Any accruing 
surplus from said tax fund shall be held as an accumulating 
fund for the Confederate Veterans to be appropriated by the 
General Assembly for their use and benefit as the General As¬ 
sembly may in future determine, and the collection of any other 
tax or the making of any appropriation for pensions in excess 
of the amount of the one mill tax levied and collected and to be 
known as “Confederate Veteran Pension Fund” is hereby pro¬ 
hibited and said fund is to be used for no other purpose than that 
herein stipulated; and upon the adoption of this Amendment 
same shall at once become self operative and the funds derived 
therefrom be immediately used for said purpose, and provided 
further that the tax collectors and assessors shall receive no com¬ 
missions for assessing and collecting said one mill tax herein 
provided. 

Provided that nothing in this Article shall be construed so as 
to prohibit the General Assembly from providing artificial limbs 
to disabled Confederate Soldiers or Sailors. 

SCection 2.—Be it further resolved, etc., That this proposed 
amendment be submitted to the qualified electors of the State o>f 
Louisiana, for adoption or rejection at the Congressional election 
to be held on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday 
in November 1916. 

That the official ballots to be used at said election shall have 
printed thereon the words: “For the proposed amendment to 
Article 303 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana relative 
to the pensions for Confederate Veterans” and the words: 
“Against the proposed amendment to Article 303 of the Consti¬ 
tution of the State of Louisiana relative to pensions for Con¬ 
federate Veterans”, and each elector shall indicate, as provided 
in the general election laws of the State, whether or not he 
votes for or against the amendment. 

I-IEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 5, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


24 


ACT NO. 110. 

Senate Bill No. 96. By Leon R. Smith. 

A JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to tlie Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana, providing for the funding of certain debts of the 
City of Shreveport, and judgments against the said city, 
the issuance of serial bonds bv said city, providing the pur¬ 
pose for and the manner in which same may be issued, and 
the duties of the City Council of the City of Shreveport, 
with reference thereto; and the levying by the City Council 
of Shreveport of certain taxes to retire the bonds as issued 
herein, by said city. And providing for the submission of 
said amendment to the electors of the State for their ap¬ 
proval or rejection. 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each branch thereof 
concurring, that subject to the ratification and approval of the 
electors of this State, the Constitution of the State be amended 
by incorporating therein, the following provisions, ito-wit: 

Section 1. The City of Shreveport by a four-fifths vote of all 
the members of the City Council thereof, shall have power and 
is hereby authorized to issue $500,000 of bonds, or so much there¬ 
of as may be necessary, to be styled City of Shreveport Serial 
Gold Bonds, and to bear such rate of interest as the City Council 
may fix from time to time, as each installment of the said bonds 
is offered for sale, as hereafter provided; said rate of interest 
at no time to exceed 5 per cent per annum payable semi-annually. 

Section 2. The proceeds of said bonds shall be applied to the 
payment and retirement of all certificates of indebtedness issued 
by the City of Shreveport prior to May 1, 1916, and to the pay¬ 
ment of all judgments rendered against said city prior to May 1, 
1916. 

Section 3. All bonds issued under this amendment shall be 
'in such form, terms and denominations, and payable at such 
times and places, within a period of not exceeding forty years 
from the date thereof, as the City Council of Shreveport shall 
determine. Said bonds shall be issued in serial form and shall 
be payable in annual installments, commencing not more than 
one year from their respective dates, and the installment payable 
in each year shall be so fixed, that when the annual interest is 
added thereto, the several annual total amounts of principal 
and interest to be paid shall be as nearly equal as practicable. 

Said bonds shall be signed by the Mayor and the Secretary- 
Treasurer of the City of Shreveport, and countersigned by'the 
Commissioners of Accounts and Finances, and the coupons shall 
have the fac-simile signatures of the Mayor and Secretary- 
Treasurer. In case any such officer whose signature or counter- 



25 


signature, who appears on such a bond or coupon, shall cease to 
be such officer before delivery of said bond or coupon to the pur¬ 
chaser, such signature or counter-signature shall nevertheless be 
valid for all purposes. 

Section 4. The principal and interest of all bonds authorized 
by this amendment shall be payable in gold coin of the United 
States of America or its equivalent, of the standard weight and 
fineness at the time of the issuance thereof, and shall be exempt 
from all forms of taxation. 

Seetion 5. The full faith and credit of the City of Shreveport 
are pledged for the payment of principal and interest of all bonds 
issued under this amendment. The principal and interest of all 
bonds authorized and to be issued under this amendment, shall 
be paid out of tax which shall be levied annually by the City 
Council of Shreveport, upon all taxable property in said city, 
sufficient to provide for the payment of the principal and interest 
of said bonds as they respectively become due. The tax so levied 
is to be in excess of the general and special taxes provided for 
elsewhere in this constitution and is not to be affected by nor to 
affect the limitations elsewhere contained in the Constitution 
as to the issuance of bonds, and the levying of taxes by munici¬ 
palities. 

Section 6. The provisions hereof are self-operative and the 
City Council of Shreveport may by ordinance carry them into 
effect. 

Be it further enacted, etc., That the amendment proposed by 
this act shall be submitted to the electors of the State for their 
approval or rejection at the congressional election to be held on 
the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of Novem¬ 
ber, 1916; and there shall be printed on the official ballot to be 
used in said election, the words, 

“For the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana providing for the funding of certain debts of 
the City of Shreveport; ’’ 
and the words 

“Against the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana providing for the funding of certain debts of 
the City of Shreveport;’’ 

And each elector shall indicate on the ballot cast by him. 
whether he votes for or against the proposed amendment. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: Julv 5. 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

A true copy: Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


26 


ACT NO. 115. 

Senate Bill No. 72. By Mr. Vincent 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to Article 48 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana relative to the limitation of legislative 
powers by adding the words “river improvement districts, 
harbor improvement districts and navigation districts’’ to 
the proviso, excepting municipal corporations having a pop¬ 
ulation of not less than twenty-five hundred inhabitants, or, 
to the organization of levee districts and parishes, from the 
provisions of said Article 48 of the Constitution providing 
for “Creating corporations, or amending, renewing, extend¬ 
ing or explaining the charters thereof. ’ ’ 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to 
each house concurring, That the following amendment to Article 
48 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana be submitted 
to the qualified electors of the State, for their adoption or re¬ 
jection, at the Congressional election to be held on the first 
Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November, 1916, 
as follows: 

Article 48. The General Assembly shall not pass any local or 
special law on the following specified subjects: 

For the opening and conducting of elections, or fixing or chang¬ 
ing the place of voting. 

Changing the names of persons. 

Changing the venue in civil or criminal cases. 

Authorizing the laying out, opening, closing, altering or main¬ 
taining roads, highways, streets or alleys, or relating to ferries 
and bridges, or incorporating bridge or ferry companies, except 
for the erection of bridges crossing streams which form bounda¬ 
ries between this and any other State. 

Authorizing the adoption of legitimation of children or the 
emancipation of minors. 

Granting divorces. 

Changing the law of descent or succession. 

Affecting the estates of minors or person under disabilities. 

Remitting fines, penalties, and forfeitures, or refunding 
moneys legally paid into the treasury. 

Authorizing the construction of street passenger railroads in 
any incorporated town or city. 

Regulating labor, trade, manufacturing or agriculture. 

Creating corporations, or amending, renewing, extending, or 
explaining the charters thereof; provided, this shall not apply 
to municipal corporations having a population of not less than 


27 


twenty-five hundred inhabitants, or to the organization of levee 
districts and parishes, river improvement districts, harbor im¬ 
provement districts and navigation districts. 

Granting to any corporation, association, or individual any 
special or exclusive right, privilege or immunity. 

Extending the time for assessment of or collection of taxes, 
or for the relief of any assessor or collector of taxes from the 
performance of his official duties, or of his sureties for liability; 
nor shall any such law or ordinance be passed by any political 
corporation of the State. 

Regulating the practice of jurisdiction of any court, or chang¬ 
ing the rules of evidence in any judicial proceeding or inquiry 
before courts, or providing or changing methods for the collection 
of debts or the enforcement of judgments, or prescribing the 
effects of judicial sales. 

Exempting property from taxation. 

Fixing the rate of interest. 

Concerning any criminal or civil actions. 

Giving effect to informal or invalid wills or deeds, or to any 
illegal disposition of property. 

Regulating the management of public schools, the building or 
repairing of schoolhouses, and the raising of money for such 
purposes. 

Legalizing the unauthorized or invalid acts of any officer, ser¬ 
vant, or agent of the State, or of any parish or municipality 
thereof. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the official ballot 
to be used at said election shall have printed thereon the words: 
“For the proposed amendment to Article 48 of the Constitution 
of the State of Louisiana, relative to the inclusion of river and 
improvement districts, harbor improvement districts, and navi¬ 
gation districts in the proviso, excepting municipal corporations 
having a population of not less than twenty-five hundred inhabi¬ 
tants, levee districts and parishes from the provisions of said Ar¬ 
ticle 48 of the Constitution providing for the creating corpora¬ 
tions, or amending, renewing, extending or explaining the char¬ 
ters thereof;” and the words “Against the proposed amend¬ 
ment to Article 48 of the Constitution of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana., relative to the inclusion of river and improvement districts, 
harbor improvement districts, and navigation districts in the 
proviso, excepting municipal corporations having a population 
of not less than twenty-five hundred inhabitants, levee districts 
and parishes from the provision of said Article 48 of the Consti¬ 
tute providing for the creating corporations, or amending, re¬ 
newing, extending or explaining the charters thereof.” And 


28 


each elector shall indicate, as provided by the general election 
laws of the State, whether he votes for or against the proposed 
amendment. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Approved: July 5, 1916. 

R, G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 


A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 
Secretary of State. 


ACT NiO. 134. 

Senate Bill No. 135-. By Mr. Pearce. 

A JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of 1913 authoriz¬ 
ing and empowering the Board of Control of the State Peni¬ 
tentiary or its successor to fund its indebtedness and issue 
notes therefor serially or otherwise not exceeding Four Hun¬ 
dred Thousand Dollars, and at a rate of interest not ex¬ 
ceeding five per centum per annum payable semi-annually, 
and for a term not exceeding fifteen years, and empowering 
the General Assembly to provide the methods of carrying 
this amendment into effect. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each 
house concurring, that the following amendment to the Consti¬ 
tution of the State of Louisiana adopted in November, 1913, be 
submitted to the duly qualified electors at the Congressional 
Election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 
in November, 1916, for their ratification or rejection:— 

“The Board of Control of the State Penitentiary or its suc¬ 
cessor or successors in office is hereby authorized and empowered 
to incur debt, issue interest bearing notes in serials or other form 
for a term not to exceed fifteen years, to the amount of Four 
Hundred Thousand Dollars at a rate of interest not exceeding 
five per cent per annum, payable semi-annually, for the purpose 
of funding and retiring its floating and other outstanding in¬ 
debtedness, and is authorized to secure same by mortgage on anv 
or all of its real estate, and the faith and credit of the State 
of Louisiana is hereby pledged to guarantee the payment of said 
obligations and the interest thereon, but the Board of Control 
or its successor shall be required to pay same out of its own 
revenues and earnings and only when the same are exhausted 



29 


shall the State make good the residue. The General Assembly 
shall pass the necessary enabling act to carry this amendment 
into effect and Act, No. 137 of the Acts of 1916 on this subject 
matter is hereby approved for this purpose.” 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the Secretary 
of State be and he is authorized to have printed on the official 
ballot to be voted in November, 1916, the words, “For the 
amendment to the Constitution funding the debt of the Peni¬ 
tentiary Board,” and the words “Against the amendment to 
the Constitution funding the debt of the Penitentiary Board,” 
and each elector shall indicate whether he votes for or against 
said amendment in accordance with the general election laws of 
the State. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: July 5, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 155. 

House Bill No. 188. By Mr, Powell. 

JOINT RESOLUTION. 

Proposing an amendment to Article One Hundred and Twenty- 
nine (129) of the Constitution, relative to fees. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, Two-thirds of all the members elected to each House 
concurring, That an amendment to Article One Hundred and 
Twenty-nine (129) of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana 
be submitted to the qualified electors of the State for their ap¬ 
proval or rejection at the Congressional election to be held on 
the first Tuesday next following the first Monday in November. 
1916. said proposed amendment to be as follows: 

“Article 129. The General Assembly shall provide a general 
fee and cost bill to regulate the fees and costs to be charged for 
the services of sheriffs, clerks and recorders, justices of the peace, 
constables, and coroners, in all civil matters; from which compen¬ 
sation for the services of said officials may be provided according 
to law. Salaries may be fixed for said officials, and if the fees 
and costs collected by them exceed such salaries, such excess may 
be disposed of according to law. The General Assembly may 
provide in all civil cases for the service of process and pleadings 
by litigants themselves. 



30 


Acts No. 142 and No. 143 of the General Assembly of 1916 
on this subject matter, shall go into effect as statutes of the State 
on July first, 1917. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved by the General Assembly 
of the State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected 
to each House concurring, That the official ballot to be used at 
said election shall have printed thereon the following words: 

“FOR the proposed amendment to Article 129 of the Con¬ 
stitution of the State of Louisiana, relative to authorizing 
salaries for sheriffs, clerks and other officials, ” 

And the words: 

“AGAINST the proposed amendment to Article 129 of 
the Constitution of the State of Louisiana, relative to author¬ 
izing salaries for sheriffs, clerks and other officials. ’ ’ 

And each elector voting shall indicate, on said ballot, as pro¬ 
vided by law whether he votes FOR or AGAINST the proposed 
amendment. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON. 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 5. 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 168. 

House Bill No. 252 Joint Resolution. .By Mr. Powell. 

AN ACT 

Proposing an amendment to Articles 225 and 226 of tile Con¬ 
stitution relative to assessment and taxation. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each 
house concurring, That an amendment to Article 225 and 226 of 
the Constitution of the State of Louisiana be submitted to the 
qualified electors of the State for their approval or rejection 
at the Congressional election to be held on the first Tuesday next 
following the first Monday in November, of 1916, said proposed 
amendment to be as follows: 

“Article 225. Taxation shall be equal and uniform through¬ 
out the territorial limits of the authority levying the tax, and 
property shall be taxed in a manner directed by law; provided 



31 


that the valuation of property for the assessment of State taxes, 
levied by the General Assembly and by this Constitution, may 
be different from the valuation fixed for all other purposes; pro¬ 
vided, further, the assessment of all property shall never ex¬ 
ceed the actual cash value thereof; and, provided, further, that 
the taxpayers shall have the right of testing the correctness of 
their assessments before the courts of justice.” 

“Article 226. There shall be and is hereby created a Board 
of State Affairs whose duty it shall be to assess, for State pur¬ 
poses, all taxable property throughout the State of Louisiana. 
It shall have such other authority relative to State assessment, 
budget, income and expenditure as may be conferred upon it 
by the General Assembly. The said board shall be composed of 
three members, who shall be appointed by the Governor for such 
terms as may be fixed by the General Assembly. The Board shall 
enter upon its duties on January 1st, 1917. The General Assem¬ 
bly shall have full authority to define the powers and duties of 
the Board and to fix the salaries of the members thereof. Act No. 
140, of the General Assembly for the year 1916, on this subject 
matter, shall go into effect as a statute of the State, on the first 
day of January, 1917.” 

Section 2. Be it further resolved by the General Assembly of 
the State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to 
each house concurring, That the official ballot to be used at said 
election shall have printed thereon the following words: “For 
the proposed amendment to Article 225 and 226 of the Constitu¬ 
tion of the State of Louisiana, relative to assessment and taxa¬ 
tion, and abolishing the Board of Appraisers.” And the words; 
“Against the proposed amendment to Article 225 and 226 of the 
Constitution of the State of Louisiana, relative to assessment and 
taxation, and abolishing the Board of Appraisers.” And each 
elector, voting shall indicate on said ballot, as provided by law 
whether he votes for or against the proposed amendment. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 6, 1916. 

R, G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary.of State. 


House Bill No. 458 


ACT NO. 203. 

By Mr. Leopold, Chairman 
Committee on Public 
Works, Lands and Levees. 
Substitute for House 
Bill No. 225. 

JOINT RESOLUTION. 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana. 

Whereas the City of New Orleans is at present exposed to 
storm damage and floods, and it is highly advisable and neces¬ 
sary for said city to have more adequate protection therefrom 
than can at present be secured under existing laws. Therefore, 
in order to promote the public safety, health, comfort and con¬ 
venience : 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to 
each house concurring, that the following amendment to the 
Constitution of the State be submitted to the qualified electors of 
the State for their adoption or rejection at the Congressional 
election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 
in November, 1916, as follows: 

(a) The Board of Levee Commissioners of the Orleans Levee 
District is hereby empowered to construct and maintain levees 
and embankments along, over and in the bed of Lake Pontchar- 
train at such distance from the present shore line as the said 
Board may determine, not to exceed twenty-five hundred (2500) 
feet from the present shore line, and along and on the shores 
adjacent thereto, and along the canals connecting therewith, 
and in such other places in the Parish of Orleans and the ad¬ 
jacent parishes as the Board may determine, said levees and era- 

, bankments to be of such height, width, slope, design and charac¬ 
ter of material as said Board may determine, and to protect 
said levees and embankments with such pilings, revetments, or 
walls, as it may deem proper. 

(b) To enable said Board to perform said work and for the 
purpose thereof, the Board is hereby given a right of way over 
and use of all public lands including such portions of the water 
bottom of said lake as it may deem necessary. It is also given 
the right to acquire by donation, purchase, expropriation or ap¬ 
propriation, all private lands or other property in such terri¬ 
tory in the Parish of Orleans and adjoining parishes as the said 
board now has authority and jurisdiction over under this amend¬ 
ment, and under existing laws, and which the said board may 
deem necessary or expedient for any of the purposes of said 


(Note: This to be published in lien of Act 207.) 

House Bill No. 248. By Mr. Shell. 

AN ACT 

Submitting to the people of the State of Louisiana an amendment 
to Article 273 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each house 
concurring, That the following amendment to Article 273 of the 
Constitution of the State of Louisiana be and the same is hereby 
submitted to the qualified electors of the State at the congression¬ 
al election to be held on the fiist Tuesday after the first Monday 
in the month of November, of the year 1916, to-wit: 

“Article 273. Every railroad or other corporation, organized 
or doing business in this State under the laws or authority there¬ 
of, shall have and maintain a general office in this State for the 
transaction of its business where transfers of stock shall be made 
and where shall be kept for public inspection books in which 
shall be recorded the amount of capital stock subscribed, the 
names of the owners of stock, the amount owned by them, re¬ 
spectively, the amount of stock paid in, and by whom, the trans¬ 
fers of said stock, with the date of transfer, the amount of its 
assets and liabilities, the names and places of residence of its 
officers. All public service corporations organized under the laws 
of the State of Louisiana shall maintain in this State in charge 
of one or more of the general officers of such company their gen¬ 
eral offices for the operation and conduct of the business of such 
corporation.” 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That this proposed 
amendment be submitted to the qualified voters of the State of 
Louisiana for adoption or rejection at the Congressional election 
to be held on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday 
in November, 1916. 

That the official ballots to be. used at said election shall have 
printed thereon the words: “For the proposed amendment to 
Article 273 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana, relative 
to public service corporations,” and the words: “Against the 
proposed amendment to Article 273 of the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana, relative to public service corporations”; and 
each elector shall indicate, as provided in the general election 
laws of the State, whether or not he votes for or against the 
amendment. 

A true copy of House Bill No. 248 by Mr. Shell, proposing an 
amendment to Article 273 of the Constitution of the State of Lou¬ 
isiana adopted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, 
session of 1916. 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 
Secretary of State. 















33 


board, and to pay therefor in the same manner as the said board 
now pays for property taken by it on the Mississippi river front 
in the parish of Orleans. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., that the official ballot 
to be used at such election shall have printed thereon the words: 

“For the proposed amendment to the constitution authorizing 
the board of levee commissioners of the Orleans Levee District 
to make certain constructions along Lake Pontchartrain and else¬ 
where” and the words “Against the proposed amendment to the 
Constitution, authorizing the board of levee commissioners of 
the Orleans Levee District to make certain constructions along 
Lake Pontchartrain and elsewhere”. And each elector shall indi¬ 
cate his vote on the proposed amendment as provided in the 
general election laws of the state. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 6, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


House Bill No. 248. 


ACT NO. 207. 


OINT RESOLUTION. 


By Mr. Shell 


Submitting to the pedfsJe of the State of Hbuisiana an amend¬ 
ment to Article 2UK of the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana. 

Section 1. Be it resolved^^y the /xeneral Assembly of the 
State of Louisiana, two-thirds orsall Jne members elected to each 
house concurring, that the followhre' amendment to Article 273 
of the Constitution of the Stateiof^Louisiana be and the same 
is hereby submitted to the qualified elWtors of the State at the 
Congressional election to be hold on theN^rst Tuesday after the 
first Monday in the month of/November of rhe year 1916, to-wit: 

“Article 273. Every rai^oad or other corVmation, organized 
or doing business in this Srate under the laws okauthority there-, 
of, shall have and maintain a general office in tliis State for the 
transaction of its business, in charge of one or moW of the gen¬ 
eral officers of such company, where transfers of s^ck shall be 
made and where shaht be kept for public inspection^ books in 
which shall be recorded the amount of the capital stock sub- 




34 


scribed, the^names of the owners of stock, the amount owned by 
them, respectively, the amount of stock paid in, and by whom, the 
transfers ofWid stock, with the date of trapper, the amount of 
its assets and\iabilities, the names and pja^es of residence of its 
officers. All public service corporations organized under the 
laws of the State\of Louisiana shalLmaintain in this State their 
general offices for \he operation ami conduct of the business of 
such corporation. ’ ’ \ / 

Section 2. Be it farther .Resolved, etc., That this proposed 
amendment be submitted tyuhe qualified voters of the State of 
Louisiana for adoption o^rejection at the congressional election 
to be held on the first Tuesday next following the first Monday 
in November, 1916. / \ 

That the official ballots to beyused at said election shall have 
printed thereon th/ words ‘ * Fofc the proposed amendment to 
Article 273 of the'Constitution ofSthe State of Louisiana, rela¬ 
tive to public service corporations ”,\nd the words “ Against the 
proposed amendment to Article 273 \f the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana, relative to public sVvice corporations,” and 
each elector shall indicate, as providedNin the general election 
laws of the State, whether or not he votes for or against the 
amendment. 

HEWITT BGUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 6, 1916. 


A 


R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


\ 


ACT NO. 216. 

House Bill No. 324. By Mr. W. Carruth Jones, 

of East Baton Rouge Parish. 

JOINT RESOLUTION. 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana authorizing Municipal Corporations, Parishes and 
Wards to levy certain taxes on property for the acquisition 
and support of Municipal, Parish and Ward fairs, and pro¬ 
viding for the calling of special elections to authorize the 
levy of said tax, and to authorize the City of Shreveport or 
parish of Caddo to levy said tax for the use of the State Fair 
of Louisiana at Shreveport, Louisiana; and providing for 
the submission of said amendment to the electors of the 
State for their approval or rejection. 



35 


Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each branch thereof 
concurring; that subject to the ratification and approval of the 
electors of this State, the Constitution of the State be amended 
by incorporating therein the following provisions, to-wit: 

Section 1. That every Municipal Corporation, Parish or Ward 
when authorized to do so by a majority in number and amount 
of the property tax payers of said Municipal Corporation, Parish 
or Ward, qualified as electors under the Constitution and Laws of 
this State voting at an election held for that purpose, notice of 
which election having been published for thirty days in the 
official Journal of the said Municipal Corporation or Parish, 
or if there is no official Journal, in a journal published therein, 
may' assess and levy a tax upon the taxable property assessed in 
said Municipal Corporation, Parish or Ward, the proceeds of 
which is to be used for the purchase and improvements of grounds 
and for premium awards for the Municipal, Parish or ward 
fairs. Provided that this tax shall not exceed one mill upon 
the assessed valuation of the property within said Municipal 
Corporation, Parish or Ward, and provided further that said 
tax shall not run for a period exceeding ten years. 

Section 2. That the City of Shreveport or Parish of Caddo, 
when aht.horized in the manner set forth in the preceding section, 
may levy and assess the tax provided for in said section and use 
the proceeds therefrom for the benefit of the State Fair of 
Louisiana, located in said City of Shreveport. 

Section 3. That resident women taxpayers may vote in the 
election herein provided for in person or by proxy. 

Section 4. That the Police Juries of the several parishes and 
the councils of the several municipalities, upon petition of one- 
fourth of the property owners and tax payers of any parish, ward 
or municipality shall call the election herein provided for. 

Section 5. That the amendment provided by this act shall be 
submitted to the electors of the State for their approval or re¬ 
jection at the Congressional election to be held on the first Tues¬ 
day after the'first Monday in the Month of November, 1916, and 
there shall be printed on the official ballot to be used in said 
election the words—- 

“For the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana authorizing Municipal Corporations, Parishes 
and wards to vote certain taxes on property for the acquisi¬ 
tion and support of Municipal Corporation, Parish and Ward 
Fairs, and the Parish of Caddo and City of Shreveport for the 
State Fair of Louisiana, at Shreveport, Louisiana ’ ’ 
and the words —* 

“Against the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 
State of Louisiana authorizing Municipal Corporations, Parishes 


36 


and Wards to vote certain taxes on property for the acquisition 
and support of Municipal Corporation, Parish and Ward Fairs, 
and the Parish of Caddo and City of Shreveport for the State 
Fair of Louisiana, at Shreveport, Louisiana’’ 
and each elector shall indicate on the ballot cast by him whether 
he votes for or against the proposed amendment. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

Approved: July 6, 1916. 

R, G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 


A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 
Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 252. 

Senate Bill No. 181. By Mr. Davey. 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to Article 133 of the Constitution of 
the State of Louisiana relative to the Civil District Court for 
the Parish of Orleans. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all members elected to each house 
concurring, that the following amendment be submitted to the 
electors of this State, for their approval or rejection, at the elec¬ 
tion to be held on the First Tuesday after the first Monday in 
November, 1916. 

Article 133. The Civil District Court shall have exclusive and 
general original probate jurisdiction, and exclusive original civil 
jurisdiction, in all cases where the amount in dispute or the funds 
to be distributed, shall exceed one hundred dollars, exclusive of 
interest; and exclusive jurisdiction in suits by married women 
for separation of property, in suits for separation from bed and 
board, for divorce, for nullity of marriage, or for interdiction, 
and in suits involving title to immovable property, or to office or 
other public position, or civil or political rights; and in all other 
eases, except as hereinafter provided, where no specific amount 
is in contest, and of all proceedings for the appointment of re¬ 
ceivers or liquidators to corporations or partnerships. And said 
Court shall have authority to issue all such writs, process and 
orders as may be necessary or proper for the purpose of the 
jurisdiction herein conferred upon it. The Judges of said 
Court en Banc shall have control over the Judicial Expense 
Fund for the Parish of Orleans, accruing, and accrued, and to 





37 


this end shall fix and regluate, from time to time, the number of 
deputies and employees of the offices of the Clerk of the Civil 
District Court, and City Courts, Register of Conveyances and 
Recorder of Mortgages of said Parish and their expenses, and 
also shall have power to fix the tariff of Costs and charges to 
be paid for official services, which shall not exceed in any re¬ 
spect the tariffs now fixed by law, in said offices, which are paid 
into, and constitute said fund. Due publication of which tariff 
when made, shall be given. They shall have power to determine, 
whether any amounts from said fund, or its excess, shall be 
devoted to the expense of taking testimony by short hand and 
to regulate and provide for the same. The Judges of said Court 
shall each receive an additional annual salary of One thousand 
dollars, payable monthly, on their own warrant which shall be 
payable out of this Fund and provided further that the said 
Judges shall be authorized to contribute out of said surplus 
fund, to the embellishment and maintenance of the Court House. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the foregoing 
amendment to the Constitution of the State of Louisiana be sub¬ 
mitted to the electors of the State at the next election for Repre- 
" sentatives in Congress to be held on the first Tuesday after the 
first Monday in November, 1916, and on the official ballots to be 
used at said election shall be placed the words: ‘ ‘ For the pro¬ 

posed amendment to Article 133 of the Constitution of the State 
of Louisiana”, and the words: “Against the proposed amend¬ 
ment to Article 133 of the Constitution of the State of Louisi¬ 
ana”, and each elector shall indicate, as provided in the general 
election laws of the State whether he votes for or against the 
proposed amendment. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Approved: July 6, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

A true copv: Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 


ACT NO. 253. 

Senate Bill No. 184. By Mr. Robbert. 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of 
Louisiana exempting from taxation ships and ocean going 
tugs, tow-boats and barges engaged in over-seas trade and 
commerce and domiciled in a Louisiana port. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of the members elected to each house 



38 


concurring, That at the general election to be held in this State 
on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November, 
1916, there shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the 
State for their approval or rejection, the following amendment 
to the Constitution: 

1. Ships and ocean going tugs, tow-boats and barges engaged 
in over-seas trade and commerce, and domiciled in a Louisiana 
port, shall be exempt from all state, parish, and municipal taxa¬ 
tion, provided, however, that this exemption shall not apply to 
harbor, wharf, shed and other port dues. 

2. No ship, tug, tow-boat or barge operated in the coasting 
trade of the continental United States shall be within the exemp¬ 
tion herein granted. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the official ballot 
to be used at such election shall have printed thereon the words: 
“For the proposed amendment to the Constitution, exempting 
from taxation ships and ocean going tugs, tow-boats and barges 
engaged in over-seas trade and commerce, and domiciled in a 
Louisiana port, and the words: Against the proposed amend¬ 
ment to the Constitution, exempting from taxation ships and 
ocean going tugs, tow-boats and barges engaged in over-seas 
trade and commerce, and domiciled in a Louisiana port,” and 
each elector shall indicate his vote on the proposed amendment 
as provided in the general election laws of the State. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: July 6, 1916 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana 

A true copy: 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 

Secretary of State. 

ACT NiO. 271. 

Senate Bill No. 231. By Mr. Guthrie. 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of 1913 by amend¬ 
ing and re-enacting Article 287 thereof. 

Section 1. Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State 
of Louisiana, two-thirds of all the members elected to each house 
concurring, That the following amendment to the Constitution 
be submitted to the qualified electors of the State for their adop¬ 
tion or rejection at the Congressional election to be held on the 
first Tuesday after the first Monday in the month of November, 
1916, as follows: 



39 


Article 287 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 
1913 is hereby amended and re-enacted to read as follows, to-wit: 

Article 287. Until otherwise provided by law, the members of 
the commission shall each receive a salary of three thousand 
dollars per annum, payable monthly on his own warrant, and 
their actual traveling expenses, and those of their secretary; 
which expenses and the salary of the secretary shall be paid on 
the warrant of the chairman of the commission on a sworn state¬ 
ment of their correctness. 

Nothing herein shall prevent railroad, express, telegraph, tele¬ 
phone and steamboat or other water craft, or other companies, 
from serving free of cost, or at reduced rate, the State or any 
city, parish, or town government, or any charitable purpose, or 
the issuance or exposition, or any destitute or indigent person, 
or the issuance of mileage or excursion tickets; nor to prevent 
railroads, steamboats or other water craft from giving free trans¬ 
portation to ministers of regilion, or inmates of hospitals, or to 
railroad officers, agents, employees, attorneys, stockholders or 
directors, or to officers and employees of the departments or in¬ 
stitutions of this State established and created for the dissemi¬ 
nation of knowledge relating to scientific agriculture, provided, 
that said officers and employees of agricultural departments and 
institutions use such free transportation solely in the discharge of 
their official duties. 

Section 2. Be it further resolved, etc., That the official ballot 
to be used at said election shall have printed thereon the words: 
“For the proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State 
of Louisiana amending and re-enacting Article 287 thereof,” and 
the words: “Against the proposed amendment to the Constitu¬ 
tion of the State of Louisiana amending and re-enacting Article 
287 thereof.” Each elector shall indicate, as provided by the 
general election laws of the State, whether he votes for or against 
the proposed amendment. 

FERNAND MOUTON, 

Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate. 

HEWITT BOUANCHAUD, 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Approved: July 6, 1916. 

R. G. PLEASANT, 

Governor of the State of Louisiana. 

A true copy: 

Secretary of State. 

JAMES J. BAILEY, 




V 


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